Syntheses, structures and magnetic properties of a series of 2D and 3D lanthanide complexes constructed by citric ligand

A series of lanthanide(III) complexes with citric ligand, [Ln(Hcit)(H2O)]n (Ln = Ce (1), Pr (2), Sm (3), Dy (4) and Er (5)), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, TGA and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray structural analysis reveals that complexes 1 and 2 are isomorphous and feature 3D networks showing five-connected distorted BN topology, while the isostructural 3–5 display 2D layer structures with two kinds of 13-membered rings. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements for complexes 1 and 5 indicate there exist antiferromagnetic interactions between magnetic centers.